DAMN. By Kendrick Lamar | Album Review
Kendrick’s most commercially sound record, still packed with depth and meaning
yo,
DAMN. is Kendrick Lamar’s fourth studio album, released on April 14, 2017.
Perhaps his most commercially successful project to date, unsurprisingly, considering it leans more into a commercial sound, compared to previous works like To Pimp A Butterfly (TPAB) or untitled unmastered.
While it doesn’t follow the same rigid structure as something like TPAB, DAMN. still dives deep into themes of morality, faith, and the weight of personal choices.
It unfolds in an intentionally flexible narrative, allowing you to interpret it both forward and backwards.
In fact, after fans caught on to this so quickly, Kendrick dropped a collector's edition a few months later with the tracklist reversed.
There’s also the theory that DAMN. is structured like a magazine due to the font on the album cover being similar to TIME’s, but I’m getting ahead of myself. So let’s just dive in.
As the album that introduced me (and a lot of yall too, I’m sure) to Kendrick’s music, DAMN. is still my most played record by the artist.
I used to spin it nonstop during high school just for fun, but it’s only now that I’ve really come to understand its weight and political impact.
Even though K. Dot leaned into a more mainstream sound with DAMN., he still couldn’t help but layer in subliminal messages and a loose but intentional storyline.
The original story kicks off with “BLOOD.,” where Kendrick addresses media backlash from his TPAB days — specifically targeting how Fox News reacted to the lyrics of “Alright.”
He was clearly heated, and that energy carries over into the next two tracks, “DNA.” and “YAH.”
Both are packed with double entendres, smooth transitions, and still hold decent replay value — something I admire a lot about Kendrick. No matter how complex or controversial his message is, he always manages to wrap it in top-tier music.
Take the ongoing religious theme in this record, as another example. I’m not even someone who really cares about religion like that, and yet I still find myself fully engaged.
You see it clearly on tracks like the Pop Rap anthem “GOD.,” where Kendrick compares himself to God at the peak of his success, only to bring himself back down to Earth as just a man.
Or on “FEAR.,” where he unpacks the feeling through a spiritual lens, showing how it evolves at different stages in life and how it’s tied to faith and understanding. It’s a standout track that weaves together pretty much all the album’s core themes.
Even the cover art for “HUMBLE.” visually ties into the record’s religious narrative — intentional and obvious, just like much of the deep cuts here.
A few other songs worth highlighting around that same theme are “PRIDE.” and “LUST.”
Both are direct nods to two of the seven deadly sins, and not only are they well placed in the album’s pacing, but they arguably represent the two sins Kendrick — and honestly, a lot of artists — have struggled with the most, or at least fear the most if they’re self-aware like K. Dot clearly is here.
When I say they’re well placed, I mean tracks like “PRIDE.” are presented to set a mood, only to be followed by the stark contrast of “HUMBLE.” — a bold switch-up.
The difference in beat alone feels intentional, making the chart-topping single hit harder, especially with Kendrick shouting for everyone wrapped up in pride to just sit down and be humble.
On “LUST.,” Kendrick dives into the cycle of desire — specifically the kind tied to relationships and sexual activities — and how people get caught chasing temporary highs. That contrast hits even harder when followed by “LOVE.,” which taps into something deeper and more vulnerable.
Exploring the deepest and most intimate emotion one can feel for another, “LOVE.” acts like a genuine dedication to his longtime partner and high school sweetheart, Whitney Alford — easily one of the most beautiful tracks on the record and Kendrick’s discography.
These themes are also touched on in the track “LOYALTY.” featuring Rihanna, where both artists reflect on the need for loyalty and trust, not just romantically but in all sorts of relationships.
Say what you want, DAMN. is a huge record. Kendrick’s most critically acclaimed project to date, and easily his most mainstream-recognised, too.
Beyond the Grammy wins, crazy sales, huge streaming numbers, and constant mentions on best-of lists, the biggest milestone was probably the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
Being the first time it was ever awarded to a non-classical or Jazz artist, that alone tells you how massive and culturally important this album really is.
Now, maybe it’s not as good as some of his other projects — I’ll get into that in a second — but it’s still undeniably grand.
The record even features Bono on the political banger “XXX.” And honestly, who better to join Kendrick on a track calling out his own country’s hypocrisy than a globally known activist and the frontman of U2?
That was a bold but smart move by Kendrick, especially considering how much success he already had by the time DAMN. dropped. It shows he was still pushing the envelope, still aiming higher, like he keeps doing nowadays.
With all that said, my take on DAMN. might be a little controversial.
Even with everything I’ve mentioned about how well Kendrick explores these complex themes on, again, his most mainstream project, I still don’t think DAMN. should be ranked among his best works.
And listen, that alone says a lot, because this is a great record overall. It had its moment, no doubt, hitting hard after it was dropped.
I wouldn’t call it overrated, but maybe overplayed fits better. My biggest issue with DAMN. is honestly the oversaturation of some tracks.
I’m talking about songs like “LOYALTY.,” “PRIDE.,” and of course “HUMBLE.” At this point, I can’t even tell if they were actually good or if their redeeming qualities just got drowned out by the fatigue of hearing them too much.
And I’m not just talking from a general perspective. I personally rinsed this album throughout high school, and yeah, I got burnt out on some of it.
That being said, there are tracks like “DNA.” or “LOVE.” that somehow still hold up for me. They crossed that overplayed line but managed to stay enjoyable, which I think speaks to how strong they really are.
So yeah, it might sound unfair because pretty much every song on DAMN. is either amazing or was at some point. But personally, today, a lot of them are tough to revisit, and that definitely impacts how I view the album as a whole.
Plus, I’ve always been more into Kendrick’s Soul and Funk fusion sound. The more commercial vibe on DAMN. just isn’t entirely my thing, and that obviously plays into my rating too.
Final Thoughts
All in all, DAMN. is a milestone record for Kendrick, for Hip-Hop, and for music in general.
It’s layered, political, personal, and packed with meaning, even if some of that gets buried under its mainstream success and constant replay.
While it might not be my favourite Kendrick album, and while some tracks haven’t aged the best for me, I still respect the vision and impact behind it.
It did what it was supposed to do, and then some more.
8,8/10
Highlights:
- “FEEL.”
- “LOVE.”
- “DUCKWORTH.”
Peace,
Isi
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